Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Castro Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,610 a month against $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
Learn more

Toronto Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Castro Valley, CA
Learn more

Castro Valley, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,610

/mo nomad

Castro Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Castro Valley, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Toronto and in Castro Valley, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,610 in Toronto versus $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA.

Toronto $2,610
Castro Valley, CA $3,363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Toronto versus $4,211 in Castro Valley, CA.

Toronto $3,727
Castro Valley, CA $4,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,844 in Toronto versus $5,060 in Castro Valley, CA.

Toronto $4,844
Castro Valley, CA $5,060

Living in Toronto costs roughly 22% less than in Castro Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 93% above, Castro Valley, CA 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 CA$24.87

$21.70 $21.70

-18.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$111

$79.9 $79.9

-1.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$12.06 $12.06

-11.03%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.62 $5.62

-27.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.97

$3.00 $3.00

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$2.80 $2.80

-38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$6.12 $6.12

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 CA$10.01

$7.31 $7.31

-3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 CA$3.59

$1.46 $1.46

73.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$4.43 $4.43

-38.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$5.77 $5.77

-62.22%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.13

$6.29 $6.29

-42.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 CA$13.37

$15.15 $15.15

-37.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.32

$13.05 $13.05

-11.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$20.32

$22.13 $22.13

-35.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.23

$5.58 $5.58

-33.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$2.62 $2.62

-54.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$4.51 $4.51

-23.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.97

$4.61 $4.61

-8.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.57 $3.57

-49.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.33

$4.68 $4.68

-64.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.46 $2.46

-10.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.02 $1.02

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 CA$19.75

$11.56 $11.56

20.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$20.07

$17.41 $17.41

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.68 $1.68

33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$2.81 $2.81

-9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$3.19 $3.19

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$158

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$3.47 $3.47

-11.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.89 $1.89

-35.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.69 CA$30.66

$40.52 $40.52

-46.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.54 $1.54

-21.43%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.1K CA$37.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

-5.87%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.1K CA$29.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-19.65%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$120 CA$169

$185 $185

-35.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.21 CA$45.54

$62.9 $62.9

-48.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.88 CA$69.1

$60.8 $60.8

-19.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 CA$55.6

$40.85 $40.85

-3.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 CA$33.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.79

$14.95 $14.95

-15.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$832 CA$1,176

$2,500 $2,500

-66.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K CA$33.4K

$35.1K $35.1K

-32.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$40.38 $40.38

29.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 CA$55.8

$35.54 $35.54

10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CA$140

$76.4 $76.4

29.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$172

$50.9 $50.9

139.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 CA$2,306

$2,260 $2,260

-27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CA$2,048

$2,061 $2,061

-29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 CA$3,869

$2,469 $2,469

10.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 CA$3,010

$2,112 $2,112

0.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,206 CA$11.6K

$2,712 $2,712

202.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,838 CA$9,666

$2,368 $2,368

188.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,520 CA$4,976

$5,708 $5,708

-38.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

6.62

-32.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Toronto: October 18, 2026

Last update for Castro Valley, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.5%

Castro Valley, CA

$2.1K 61.3% 42.3% $612

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$343 13.1%

Castro Valley, CA

$460 13.7% 34.1% $117

Eating Out

Toronto

$283 10.9%

Castro Valley, CA

$346 10.3% 22.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.7%

Castro Valley, CA

$309 9.2% 53.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$141 5.4%

Castro Valley, CA

$91 2.7% 35% $49

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Castro Valley, CA

$26 * 0.8% 80.3% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$65 2.5%

Castro Valley, CA

$71 2.1% 9.7% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Toronto and $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castro Valley, CA pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Toronto vs $80.0 in Castro Valley, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $460 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇺🇸 Castro Valley, CA

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

22:30 10:30 PM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

61,388

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toronto Castro Valley, CA 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Castro Valley, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Toronto vs Castro Valley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto and Castro Valley, CA differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,610 vs $3,363 including rent). Toronto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Castro Valley, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,631 in Toronto versus $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Castro Valley, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,610 per month in Toronto versus $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Toronto and Castro Valley, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Castro Valley, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.